Chiang Mai, Thailand, dare I say my favorite city so far?! I do!

To this day I still dream about Chiang Mai. The fruit smoothies (yes I know I am addicted to them and no they are never as good anywhere else), the thai massages, the jungle hikes, the night market, and the many beautiful temples and holy sites. Even though it rained every day I still couldn't have been happier.

*this is the only pic of the street food- I guess I was too busy eating to take any pictures- sorry*

*so our first night was wild- big spiders, damp mattress and water dripping on our heads like a form of Chinese torture- oh good times*

Jaim

6/28/11

You  guys i just had the coolest day EVER!! get this - this is wht 25 dollars wil gt           you  (sorry, really really sticky key board  50 cents and hour though, not complaining) 

  1. trip to butterfly pavilion where they breed a unique species of butterfly that is invisible  or senses tourists from miles away and   flies away  until the coast is clear.  the hundreds of orchid plants howver were visible and stuck around for us to see and man were they beautiful! I never knew there were so many differet types!

2. a  treck  through the jungle on an elephant!!!

3. a great lunch of pad thai w/ loads of great fruit

4. a  hike up to  a waterfall that we coul dswim in and under and get pummeled by the water crashing down

5. a really really great water rafting trip down the river on a rubber raft and then halfway through where the waters are more calm we transferred to a bamboo raft that sunk  quite a bit under the water so it looked like we were just  standing on  nothing  with a guide that fancied tilting the raft from one side to the other making us scramble to balance  while cracking up     .  I was laughing probably obnoxiously loud the whole time bc i was just having so much fun and got a kick out of just about everything.  it was brilliant  - in our group were these two guys from ireland - one wit hthese shortish neon shorts that were quite thin from the looks of em and becme more or less transparent when  wet.  luckily i was directly behind him which gave me a top notch view while he scratched his arse .  ha! gross.

we were staying with this one guy that houses volunteers and also runs different tours here that we met through the couch surfing website .      first night was really really miserable - neither of us could sleep at all and it was one of those nights where you ar ejust praying for it to be morning so that the dreadful night can me over that you can get up. it may have had something to di with the dirty dirty sheets, or the ridiculously uncomfortable matreses on hte floor , or perhaps it was the ginormous wolf spider we saw on the wall next to the bed before we turned off the lights and couldnt manage to catch bc it was lightning fast , OR it may have been the chinese water torture in the form of water leaking from the roof onto camis head...so we stayed two nights there and then we caved and found a different place for 3 dollars a night each, with a big bed, dry  mind you , and our own bathroom AND shower. awesome.  we took it and peaced outta there, after leaving a thank you note of course!  free is great and expectations are low but man being able to actually sleep is   great too , worth 3 bucks id say :)

love you guys so much and really love getting your emails that keep me connected to what's going on in your lives!

p.s. went to church here! so so neat!  saw  an BYU prof i had, and the sister of another prof I had! crazy!  it's a small world after all! there was also this couple trveling there from utah that took us under their wings and took  us ou t to  this amazing place for dinner!         cam and i got seafood in red curry and it was served in a coconut! only 3 dollars! we've already decided to come back here to asia every year with thailand as our hom base. 

oh, also, thai people are absolutely lovely, really really

love and loads more love,

jaimie

Chiang Rai, Thailand

In the guide books Chiang Rai didn't have much to show for its self and yet we had a weird desire to go there. As we walked around the small town I felt a stillness. There were not a lot of tourists and we were forced to figure out local transportation if intended to get around. It was fun solving our own problems and empowering to know we could do even if we don't speak the language. One night we wandered into an outdoor pavilion where people were sitting eating meats and veggies cooked on a domed table top cooker. Feeling adventurous we sat down. The kind workers showed us how to select our meats and veggies and then how to cook them all together on the table. It was our first "hot pot" experience and it was a successful one at that. In the evenings we would walk the streets and talk, which is something Jaims and I are really good at doing. Maybe because we were mission companions for 8 months and spent every moment together. We need little to spark new ideas and interesting discussion. Even after months apart we can still talk as though we saw each other the day before. I am really blessed to have such a beautiful kind and patient friend.

One of my favorite nights of the trip was when we happened upon a buddhist temple during a service. We quietly slipped off our shoes and went to kneel in the back. We sat for almost an hour (or until our knees ached) being filled with the peaceful spirit and chants of the monks. Thailand for me is a place of peace and pondering. Surrounded by beautiful nature it is easy to contemplate life and the paths we desire and choose to take. Although I am not buddhist I learned how to take time to be still. If anyone knows me they know that stillness is hard for me, but as we sat in those temples it was easy to stop thinking for a few minutes. I believe that when we stop thinking, we are actually opening ourselves up to true inspiration and guidance from God.  

In Chiang Rai we did go to one very touristy temple- although most of the tourists were domestic there were a few clearly foreign ones as well. The temple itself was creepy and not worth the trip out there but it was fun to learn how to jump on the local bus and meet more people from the area. I think more than going to sites, I really like simply meeting people and experiencing culture firsthand. 

*I love tourists because for many it means being pushed outside of their comfort zone to learn and grow- way to go tourist with the bright floral umbrella, no shame!*

*as a public health and international development student I couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit Cabbages and Condoms- check them out as they are doing awesome things in preventing HIV!*

Jaim

6/23/11

hey everyone!  doingreally great here! reallyreally love thailand and the thai people!  I love love meeting new people and hearing their stories.  on the bus on our way to the ferry to the island koh phang nan we sat in front of a few scottish guys that were playing hte guitar abit an i turned around and expresed my disappointment that they had stopped playing hte weezer song I loved so much, then one of em started playing falling slowly fro mthe once movie and i started singing along they he handed me the guitar and I tried to teach him blackbird...no dice :)  I got a wax job yesterday and it was the best waxing experience I've ever had b/c this woman was so so so sweet, huge hard, huge smile, and we're now good friends and I'm gonna give her a pass along card.  she runs an italian restaraunt here and a massage and wax and nails place - everyone here is kind of a jack of all trades,Her biggest dream is to go to italia, venice - and just sit on the gondola boats and see the city - I told her Id send her a post card.  her name is Dia.  There is a whole world of people to discover nad get to know out there - all it takes is for us to open our mouths and be willing to treat them like people and like our brothers and sisters.  i love seeing more of God's creations that I've never seen before - different plants, animals, food, sunsets in different countries, remnants from past civilizations, different religions and how many similarities there are between each religion.

We went fishing one night and I caught a fish!  the man fried up all the fish right there on the boat and we ate them and some raw squid dipped in this great chili sauce, yum!!! then we practiced scuba diving in the pool and went snorkeling and got massages on the beach by these adorable women and this older woman saw me admring her little plastic windmill creations and she pointed to one of the girls and said saomething to here and the girl comes over and hand it to me! can you believe that! I gave her a hug and she kissed me on the cheak. I've discovered that hugs and smiles are universal happy inducers and it just disarms people so quickly, I love that! we ended the day with a bonfire on the beach that night.  

 

We're now in chiang rai, up north, a little town, and while exploring last night we ewalked past a temple with a big golden buddha in it and women and maonks praying, we didn't even say anything, we just looked ate ach other, took off our shoes walked in and sat down with them, it was sucha neat thing, and so relaxing to just think while listeningto them sing.

 

I've discovered that my favorite fruit is here - so many fun different great kinds!  I love food and trying new stuff - fired bananas are a favourite as well hee hee!

 

love you all so much and thin of you often!

 

jaim 

Koh Phangan, Thailand Beaches and the Full Moon!

When most people think of Thailand they think of beaches. Up to this point I had come to believe that Thailand was made of mountains and valleys that cradled small water ways. I had no idea that the beaches would be just as glorious as the golden temples and pagodas.

If you have backpacked through thailand I am sure you heard tail of the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan held each month and now on the half moon as well. Since we do not drink alcohol or enjoy 'shroom shakes we decided to head to the island in between the full and half moon. And oh man, was that a good idea! An island practically to yourself is never a bad thing- in most cases I would even support it as long as there are enough fruit smoothies to keep me going and I am not stranded.  We stayed in a bungalow on the beach that provided us with front row seats to the dramatic ebb and flow of the tide. To be honest I didn't take a lot of pictures or do anything too wild. I swam, slept, walked and thought a lot. It was a place of peace and contemplation. A few times we went off on the scooter to find new beaches and see wildlife. But overall this was a simple stop on the trip where we could simply just be.

*this woman does nails, waxing, and cooks oh yeah she also looks to be 20 years old tops- she is in her late 30s!*

*massage on the beach with fresh aloe vera*

*always a kind smile nearby*

*night fishing with our guide*

*dinner*

*all the party people ready for the full moon*

Sangkhlaburi, Thailand: Burmese food and the Boarder

Of all the places we stopped on our Thailand Road trip Sangkhlaburi was the most unique. Resting along the Myanmar boarder, Sangkhlaburi is a quiet town hosting a refugee camp, a few markets and for the most untouched land. This is a ways off the typical tourist route so if you decide to visit-expect a few adventures. It was interesting learning about Burma and what is going on there. If you haven't heard much about their history please look it up. I remember a Burmese Princess who came and spoke to our school. I thought she was so beautiful and refined. But I also remember feeling angry at the world when she told us how she went from being a princess without any worries to seeing her husband killed and being put on house arrest over night. I was ignorant of world affairs at the time but her story inspired me to learn about other countries and to hear their stories. This tiny county should not be overlooked. Although we did not have time to experience Burma (now know as Myanmar) this trip, we did eat the most delightful Burmese tea and nut salad. I have never experienced such flavors as found in that simple little dish. I only wish I knew what was in and where I could find it in New York.

*oh rainy days*

*I really like them*

*one of my favorite things in Thailand is the way the monk's orange robe adds color to the landscape*

*a perfect tower* 

*another gem on the side of the road*

*we learned what maximum capacity looks like*

It was in this town where we learned that packing clothes that dry quickly is really key because sometimes everything you own may just get soaked in a freak rainstorm!

Kanchanaburi and the River Kwai

*Spirit Tree*

Kanchanaburi is a beautiful little piece of paradise that many people look over while visiting thailand. Running along the River Kwai you can easily find a nice little hammock to sleep in or can go hike the Erawan Waterfalls. Relaxing and simply enjoying nature we swam, hiked, and enjoyed the most beautiful sunset over the bridge on the River Kwai- if it sounds familiar it is because this little piece of architecture is center of a great novel and later a film based on true events during WWII. I loved discovering little touches of thai culture as we would find spirit trees in the woods. These trees house special spirits and to show respect to these spirits they are dressed in very colorful fabrics and given sacred offerings.

*erawan waterfalls*

*bridge over the river kwai*

*one of my favorite things in Southeast Asia-men finding unique places to sleep*

After we left the little city we drove to the most amazing temple. Wat Tham Mangkon Thong is a temple with a cool story. If you want you can climb the stairs through a small little cave to a beautiful balcony. And if you want a bit more fun go beyond and find the extra caves in the back- but be sure to take a flashlight because it is really dark down there!

*Wat Tham Mangkon Thong*

*Chinese Graves*